by Tyler Grey
“This is Jessica’s job,” I said to her.
She shook her head. “Nah, I was on my way, so I took it from her. Hi, Mom. Hi, Duncan, this is a nice surprise.”
“We brought lunch for all of us,” Myra said and took out the packed sandwiches she had made. “Pastrami and cheese in these ones, and chicken salad in those. Take your pick.”
“How on earth do you get something as simple as sandwiches to taste so good?” I said as I took a bite into the pastrami one. It was delicious, and far better than the food from the café which I had always thought to be so amazing.
Myra grinned. “Oh, you flatter me.”
“I’m not saying it to flatter you. I’m honestly saying it because I mean it. It’s delicious, Myra.”
“Thank you. That’s always nice to hear.”
“So, what have the two of you been up to today?”
“Well, we just spent the morning relaxing and then making sandwiches. It’s nice to be lazy for a change. When you spend your whole life working like crazy, it’s nice to finally take the time to relax. Also, Duncan thought he’d spend some time going through the office after lunch, and then we’re heading out to the movie theater. There’s this new scary movie that’s showing. I’m not into scary movies, but Duncan assures me he’s going to keep me safe,” she said and chuckled. “I’ve warned him that I might scream and embarrass him.”
I shook my head. “Nah, my father doesn’t get easily embarrassed. So, Dad, you coming to check up on me here, hey?”
He laughed. “No, I can see you’re doing a good job. You know me, though — I can’t help myself. I want to make sure everything is running smoothly, and I thought I could also say hello to a few of the staff members. I haven’t seen some of them for a while.”
“You just want to show your new wife off to everyone.” I loved nothing more than teasing him. “Admit it.”
He nodded enthusiastically. He had the biggest grin on his face. “Fine, you got me. I want to show her off. I mean, look at me and look at Myra. I have to show off. You certainly can’t blame me for that.”
I nodded. “I have to agree. She’s way out of your league.”
“You guys! I need to hang around the two of you more often. My head is going to explode from all these compliments.”
Lunch was a lot of fun. I really liked spending time with Myra. She brought out a great side to my father, and it was nice to see. They had both been through a lot in their lives, so it was nice to see them happy.
Paisley was more quiet than usual throughout lunch, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with her. She seemed lost in thought. She spoke when she had to and was very polite, but she looked like she was a million miles away. Part of me wondered if she was thinking about work, and part of me wondered if she was thinking about me. I hoped it was the latter.
When lunch was over, she said her goodbyes before making her way back to her desk. I walked out with Myra and my father and noticed that Jessica was glaring at me. She clearly didn’t like that I was spending time with Paisley. I hoped I wouldn’t have to fire Jessica. She’d been with the company a long time, and I didn’t really want to find someone else. Although, at the rate Paisley was going, I wouldn’t be surprised if she could take on her job as well as Jessica’s without so much as batting an eyelid.
I walked around with my father and Myra while he gushed about his new wife before saying my goodbyes to them. My father seemed pleased with how the business was going and told me that he could see it was in good hands with me. It was a nice thing to hear.
I headed back to my desk to get some more work done. I sent Paisley some emails, telling her what work I needed done from her, and ended off the email with a winking smiley face. I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but when she replied with a happy poop emoji, I had to laugh. The emails went back and forth, and they followed a similar pattern. I was flirtatious, and she was sarcastic. She was also hilarious, and by the time the day was done, I had laughed more than I usually did at work. Throughout all the flirting and the laughing, Paisley had also managed to get all the work done that I had asked of her. She was good. Very good.
I left work that day feeling strange. Paisley was an interesting woman. She enticed me with her wit and sense of humor — and the fact that she was also beautiful was an added bonus. But it wasn’t often that I laughed that much with a woman. I had always enjoyed pursuing them and having my way with them, but it never went much beyond that. It was always about the sex for me. I had never met anyone that had made me want more with them. I didn’t want long conversations, and laughter. I didn’t want a relationship.
Why did it feel different with Paisley? I tried to push the thought out of my head. No, I was just confused by her. I didn’t want a relationship with her. I simply wanted to get her into bed. That was all.
Chapter Thirteen
Paisley
It was halfway through the week, and I was having a hard time concentrating at work. I was fine whenever I was left on my own, but the moment Henry came by to ask me for something, it would take me a while to feel normal again. My heart would flutter at the mere sight of him, and my body would respond by aching. Nobody had ever made me ache before.
When it was time for lunch, I hurried down the road to get some fresh air. I usually went down to the café to enjoy some coffee, but getting out into the cold, winter air was good. I wrapped my scarf around me, pulled my coat in tighter, and walked. I would have to start doing this every day, just to clear my head. I still had a bit of time to kill, so I decided to call Olive for some advice.
“I’m going crazy,” I said to her the moment she answered.
She laughed. “You are crazy. Don’t I even get a hello?”
“Sorry, hello. I have very little time for hellos right now.”
“Hello to you, too. Why do you seem so flustered?”
“Because I am. Henry is driving me insane. He’s distracting me too much. I honestly don’t know how much more of this I can take. Maybe I should quit — or move to another country,” I said dramatically.
She giggled. “Is he still flirting with you?”
“Oh yeah, all the time. And, he looks at me like he wants to undress me.”
She sighed. “Oh, you’re so lucky. I wish someone would look at me like that. That guy is so handsome. I think I’m going to have to come visit you at work, just so I can see him in real life. Or I’ll come see you at home. I’ll join you for one of your Sunday dinners. I need to see this man in action.”
“Olive! Stop it. You’re not helping one bit. You’re supposed to tell me that I need to stop thinking about him. You’re the levelheaded one in this friendship, not me. I need you to help me see reason. Because I swear, if he carries on with this, I’m going to end up giving in. And, I can’t give in. I. Can’t. Give. In.”
“You really want some good advice from the friend of reason?” she asked.
“Yes! Yes! That’s why I called you. That’s exactly what I want,” I said urgently.
“Are you sure you’re ready to hear it?”
“I’m ready, Olive. Go for it. Let me hear it.”
“Well, I think you should go for it. Give in to his charms.”
I groaned. “What? That’s not what you’re supposed to say.”
“Paisley, I’ve never heard you speak about a guy like this before. You’re obviously in love with him.”
“In lust,” I corrected her.
“Fine. In lust. Still, you never talk about guys like this. This guy has gotten to you, and there has to be a reason. I think you should go ahead and explore what that reason is. I mean, why not? You’re young; you’re free. He’s young; he’s free. Go for it.”
“Brother. Brother. Brother.”
“Is there something wrong with you? Do you have a stutter?” she teased.
“He’s my brother.”
“Are we really going to go through this all again? He’s not your brother. I have a brother.
Mark and I grew up together. We have the same mom and dad. We are blood-related. Henry is not your brother.”
“You’re no help.”
“It’s my pleasure.” I could just tell she was grinning into the phone. She was clearly enjoying every minute of this.
“Well, I better go. I have to get back to work. I took a walk to get some fresh air.”
“In this cold? Wow, you must really need to get away from him.”
“Oh, yeah. More than you know.”
“Well, thanks for calling. I hope I’ve been a great help to you. Call again any time you need my help on this matter.”
“You’ve been no help, at all. Now I’m going to go back and think about him even more.”
“Good, that was my plan,” she said and laughed.
“Before I go, how are you?” I asked when I realized that the entire conversation had been about me.
“I’m not doing well at all. I’m very depressed.”
“What? Are you serious? And, you let me rant on about Henry all this time. I’m so sorry! I feel like such an awful friend. Forget about everything I said before. Let’s rewind. Tell me what’s going on? Are you okay?”
“I’m depressed that you won’t let this guy undress you,” she said.
“Oh my goodness! I cannot believe you just did that to me. I felt so awful. Okay, I’m ending this call. You’re such a pain.”
She chuckled. “I love you, too.”
I walked back to the office, trying to clear my head. Calling Olive had ended up being the worst possible thing I could’ve done. I was surprised that she was trying to push me towards Henry. She was the one person I would’ve expected to understand why I didn’t think it was a good idea.
When I got back, I made my way to my desk and started on my work. I was grateful for all there was to do. If there was one thing I could do, it was work hard, and I was going to use all this work to help keep me distracted.
I saw Jessica looking at me, and I wondered if she perhaps felt the same way about Henry as I did. Then suddenly, a thought occurred to me. What if he treated Jessica in the same way that he was treating me? What if he flirted with her relentlessly but never actually got with her? Was that why she looked so frustrated all the time?
I shook my head. It shouldn’t matter. I wasn’t going to let him get to me. If Jessica wanted him, she could have him. Why then did the thought of Henry with Jessica make me feel so awful?
The afternoon was long. I couldn’t wait to get out of the office, although knowing that he was simply going to be at home too didn’t help. At least, at home I could hide out in my room. Or maybe I’d go and visit Olive. I needed to start getting paid so that I could get my own apartment, and I needed time to go fast so that I could start looking for another job.
“Great job today, Paisley,” Henry said as he ambled passed my desk. I looked up to see him smiling at me. I smiled back and mumbled a thank you before carrying on with my work. I couldn’t think about was the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, or how deep the dimple on his left cheek became. Coming to work at this office was possibly the worst thing that I could’ve done to myself.
He wasn’t around when I got home, but I still went straight to my room. I lay in bed, trying not to think about him, but when that didn’t work, I headed to the bathroom to take a cold shower. I couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of what I was doing. Olive had once told me she’d taken a cold shower to stop thinking about someone that she shouldn’t be thinking of, and I had laughed at her. “A cold shower?” I remembered saying to her. “How is that going to work?” But I was desperate now, and ready to try anything. I stood with my eyes closed, under the freezing cold water, and sighed. It worked…but only a little.
When I got out, I immediately opened up my computer and started looking through some internet dating sites before choosing one. I created my profile and then looked through the profiles of the other members. I thought of contacting some of them. There certainly were a few very good-looking men on there, and some of them seemed interesting enough. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. My profile was up, so I’d see if anyone came to me. My heart just wasn’t in it.
When I went downstairs to get something to eat, my mother told me that Duncan and Henry had gone out for the evening for some father and son bonding. Thank goodness. I could finally have some breathing space.
“How about we have some mother and daughter bonding, too?” she suggested.
I smiled at her. It couldn’t have come at a better time. “I like that idea. Let’s have some dinner and then watch a girly movie together with ice cream.”
“Sounds like the perfect night.”
My mother made some dinner, and we sat in the living room to eat on our laps. I told her all about my job, and she was pleased that it was going so well.
“Are you going to stay there? From what I hear, you are doing very well, and there is talk of you moving up as time goes on.”
“Really? I didn’t know that.”
“Oh, yeah. Henry is so impressed. He told his father that you are the hardest-working person he has ever met. I cannot tell you how proud I was of you to hear that.”
“Well, that’s nice to hear. I’m not sure, Mom. I’ll see how it goes. I’m still on the lookout for something else. But the money is good, and it’s given me an opportunity to save up like I wanted to. It’s also good experience. I don’t think I’ll stay there forever, but it’s good for now. I do like the job.”
She smiled. “I’m glad to hear it. And, what is Henry like as a boss?”
I could feel the heat rising to my face again, and I was grateful that we were sitting with only the lamps on. I didn’t think my mother would be able to see that I was blushing from where she sat on the other side of the room.
“He’s fine. He knows what he’s doing. The other people in the company seem to all respect him and like him. So that’s good.”
“That Jessica girl wasn’t very friendly, was she? Although, she was all smiles to Henry. I think she likes him.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I think so, too. I don’t think he likes her, though. Either that, or they used to go out and it ended badly. I’m not sure. She definitely doesn’t like me, and she’s made it very clear that she wishes I wasn’t there.”
“Oh dear. I hope you’re not letting that affect you. It’s not good that she brings her personal feelings to work like that.”
I shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I’m there to do my work, and that’s it.”
“Good for you. Well, I’m glad you are finally getting the chance to prove yourself. That Henry is a nice boy, isn’t he?”
“He’s nice. But not as nice as Duncan,” I said in a desperate attempt to talk about something else.
She grinned. “Duncan’s great. I’m so happy with him.”
I smiled. “I know you are, and he’s happy for you.”
Annoyingly, she moved back to talking about Henry, but we thankfully finished our food, and I announced that I was ready to watch the movie. Once we were all settled on the sofa with our ice cream, the conversation stopped. I could barely concentrate on the movie, though. The whole day had been one big “how to avoid Henry” sort of day, and I wasn’t sure how it was going to get any better. Of course, the movie we chose didn’t help: it was all about two people who worked together and fell in love.
Chapter Fourteen
Henry
Paisley and I were playing the avoidance game quite well. At least, she was playing it with me. I wasn’t trying to avoid her, but it wasn’t easy with her constantly ignoring me. At home, she only spoke to me when her parents were around. And when she did speak to me, it was always about work. When I tried to steer the conversation to something else, she would immediately bring it back to work. That morning as we were about to leave, my father spoke.
“Why don’t the two of you go to work together? You would save on fuel. It doesn’t make sense to take your own cars.”
I smiled at the question. “Yeah, you’re right. What do you think, Paisley? We can even take turns if you like?” I tried not to laugh at the look of horror that had crossed her face. She was desperately trying to rearrange her face into a smile so that nobody noticed, but it was too late for me. I could already see that this was something she was hoping to avoid.
She shook her head and cleared her throat. “Oh, it is a great idea, and I’ve definitely thought of it already. But you’re always going off to meetings, and I sometimes like to go to Olive’s place after work, so it’s probably not good that we are reliant on each other for rides. Anyway, I better get going. Duncan, have a great day. Say goodbye to my mom for me. Henry, I’ll see you at work.”She rushed out the house quickly, and when I turned around, I saw that my father was looking after her in confusion.
“She’s an odd girl, don’t you think? I mean, I like her a lot, don’t get me wrong, but I sometimes feel like she’s not letting us in on her life. I don’t know. I wonder if I should be looking into it.”
“Maybe she’s still getting used to us all being here.”
He nodded. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. But you say that she’s good at the job?”
“Dad, she’s great. She was definitely the right choice. I’m going to have to think about promoting her in a few months. She’s going to get bored if she stays where she is.”
He smiled. “Well, that’s good to hear, at least.”
“I better go, too. Have a great day, Dad.”
When I got to work, I strode straight up to Paisley’s desk and grinned at her. “Why are you grinning at me like that?” she asked me.
“So, you don’t want to catch a ride with me to work, huh? Why not? Scared to be alone with me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Not quite. As I said, I prefer to have the freedom of my own car.”
“Hmm, sure. Well, if you ever do want a ride to work, let me know. I’d be more than happy to take you.”
“No thanks,” she said rudely and turned back to her work.
“You really need to be nicer to me, Paisley. I am still your boss, you know.”